Former National Hockey League goaltender and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Kelly Hrudey will headline the 7th Annual Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast on Wednesday, February 6, 2019 in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.
“To be able to have Kelly Hrudey come in as our guest speaker, just as we are gearing up to host the U Sports University Cup Men’s National Hockey Championship, is a perfect fit,” says Robb Engen, manager of Development & Marketing, Pronghorn Athletics. “Kelly is respected for an outstanding playing career and as one of the best on-air personalities in the game.”
The Pronghorn Breakfast has raised more than $289,000 in support of Pronghorn Athletics programs. As part of its ongoing commitment to athletics, the University of Lethbridge will once again match $100 per ticket, with the funds going directly to the teams.
“Canada West just may be the most competitive conference in the country and in order for our programs to compete, we need to attract the best athletes,” says Ken McInnes (BA’91, BMgt’97, Mgt Certificate ’02), executive director, Sport & Recreation Services. “Through events such as these we are able to offer scholarship packages that bring the best student-athletes to the U of L and create a culture that allows them to succeed both academically and in the athletic arena.”
Hrudey, originally from Edmonton, is well known to southern Alberta hockey fans. He played junior hockey with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers for three years before being drafted by the NHL’s New York Islanders in the second round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. He enjoyed a 15-year NHL career with the Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, playing alongside some of the game’s most legendary names, including Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky.
Hrudey joined CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada full-time in 1998-99, following four years of contributing to the show on a part-time basis during his final four seasons in the NHL. In addition to his work as a studio analyst, Hrudey served as a co-host for the post-game show, After Hours, and also worked as a game analyst for western game broadcasts.
He joined the NHL on Sportsnet team in August 2014, and acts as a studio analyst for national broadcasts, including Hockey Night in Canada, and as a game analyst for Sportsnet’s Calgary Flames regional broadcasts.
In 2007, Hrudey received a Gemini Award for Best Studio Analyst, recognizing his work on Hockey Night in Canada. In addition to his work with the NHL, Hrudey has covered three Olympic Winter Games including Salt Lake 2002, Torino 2006, and Sochi 2014.
He says he’s looking forward to coming back to southern Alberta to talk hockey, Pronghorns and the upcoming national championship event.
“I’m extremely excited about coming to the University of Lethbridge and sharing my stories from the great game of hockey,” says Hrudey. “As an Albertan, I consider it a huge honour to be visiting Lethbridge and especially right before a big event like the men’s national hockey championship.”
Tickets for the Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast are available at gohorns.ca/breakfast.